Giallo
by Koren Steen
Summary: There's behind the scenes, then there's when it just happens when it happens. (Luigi/Mario)


You may look at this as either a sequel from the first story (in which, his feelings were established) or as a story all on its own. I did that on purpose by having nary a callback to events related to the last story. This is not as fluffy or as comedic as the last one, I have noticed. Still, it's just as short as I wanted it to be. Make of what you want with the setting. I meant to place it on an urban yet vague location.  
**  
Giallo**

Somewhere in a dark room, a man sits on the bed, talking to the phone. What it was about, it was hard to tell. He spoke Italian exclusively. His voice was deep and husky. Though a little hard to see, he seemed to be half-naked, and was smoking away a cigarette at every pause.

Then finally, he hangs up and a voice calls:

_And cut!_

After a few compliments from the director, a few cast members, and miscellaneous crew, he walks off the set and gets dressed.

The scene done, the director now worries the lack of punch that the film had now as he took a quick scan with everything they had so far.

The actor suggests a risky yet foolproof plan.

The next day...

"You sure you don't have second thoughts on that other job you're taking?" Mario asked. He holds out his hand, waiting for a tool to be placed on it. They were doing... plumber stuff which was something about a clogged pipe of the faucet and Mario was under the sink, lying and so on. Yeah.

"When did you become so concerned with what I've been doing?" Luigi asked in response. He placed the object on Mario's waiting hand. What it was, the narrator does not know. His brother used it to toil on something though.

"You don't need to worry so much, I'm fine!" Luigi continued. "I bet this is because you still can't forget that one movie I was in."

"Which you showed to me!" he said while working.

"Which you insisted I show you!" he said back. "I warned you lots of times!" he reminded jokingly. "But seriously to answer your question, I just need the money, okay? And that it's time I start being noticed as somebody in my own right and _not_ be in your shadow, as Daisy liked to put it when I talk about it to her. Be known as myself, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Mario said, almost too somberly.

"Oh don't worry. I still want to be a great plumber like my big bro!" Luigi tried to reassure. "_But_ _with_...um, something _more_.'"

Mario was still struggling with whatever he was messing in with there.

"Mario, what is up in there?" he pushed Mario out of the way and made way to assess the situation within the pipes and began poking on something.

"Uh, Luigi? Be careful 'cause I think that's—"

Too late though, as the sludge from inside it just spurted all over his poor little brother's face.

"—what's clogging the... well, now you know, too!" Mario tried to laugh it off.

Luigi still looked disgusted and at the same time, annoyed.

Work finally done, they decided to take a break in a small café before going home. They talked for a while, random things about what they do when they're not together and were out there doing something else. It was then, Mario decided to ask Luigi something.

"Hey bro, you think I could check out the set on the next movie you're starring in?"

"Really? Why?"

"Sheesh, I don't know. I just wanna see what and where you're working on now."

They first went home before proceeding. Putting on some fresh clothes, something more casual in order to get the look of work off themselves, collared shirts and a pair of jeans later, they were now underway.

Mario had made the mistake to take Luigi's word that the set of the filming won't be too far and they need not drive the truck to get there and they only needed to walk. As a result, he was very tired and out of breath, his feet hurting.

"Remind me... _never _to...take your word for it."

"You needed the exercise. Lighten up, bro."

Mario scoffed at the fact.

Anyway, they were inside a hotel. Thank goodness that it was the decent kind rather than a dilapidated room for a sorry excuse of atmosphere when it came to the sort of "movie" his dear little brother had to act in. He will never understand why he couldn't have been in the theater or something classier.

"I'm gonna go look around!" Mario called from behind.

"Yeah, go ahead!" he answered. "I'll just stay here for a bit."

There he saw him start to wander until he was out of his sight. As soon as he's gone, he makes his way to drop a line... He needed a phone.

Mario just simply walked around the floor they were in which was the ground. He had no intention of straying too far from the room which was the set and go check out the other rooms in the other floors. He was still worn out.

So far, he made no conclusion to what he thought of the hotel. He was just bored so he ought to walk around. Then, he made his way back to Luigi and closed the door of the room.

He saw him suddenly sitting on the bed.

"Hey, I just remembered I had a script stuck under this mattress just in case I forget some lines," he said. "You wanna help me with a scene I'm trying to practice? It's only short."

"I'm no actor," Mario said. "I ain't emotional enough."

"Nah, be as bored-sounding as you want. I just need someone to read the other lines."

Well if that's the case, he thought sure, why not. He takes the script from Luigi's hands and he saw something that was unexpected with... the language.

"You never told me it's in Italian!" He browsed on the pages to make sure if it really was so. And much to his disbelief, he only found a few English sentences, the script saying only reserved for American extras.

He had more confidence reading these lines now, considering they're in his and his brother's tongue.

"So you ready, bro?" Luigi asked. "You can keep that; I have the lines memorized."

Mario skimmed the lines some more. He gives out his triumphant answer: "_Sì!_"

The scene was, if to not directly translate every word they were saying and rely on subtext, a conversation between lovers. The other was in suspicion of her man, who she had noticed had been acting so strange lately.

Despite Mario's temporary role of being the woman, he did not show any hesitation and read his lines expressively and his voice convincing. Luckily, he did not need to don a woman's voice as well and simply spoke as he would in general.

Luigi, the role of the man, convinces his distressed lover that all is well and nothing is amiss. He had to act as seductive as possible to deter her suspicions. But having to do it with his brother, who only pretended, he can see he was beginning to make Mario lean back a little.

Their words became more serious as it went on. Mario read the climaxing script and Luigi said the exact same words written on it. He sort of froze when he got to the part that said on the script, the man had to throw himself onto the woman and kiss her. Looking back at their roles... Mario fidgeted a little bit.

"Luigi, aspe—"

At this point, they've caught up speaking in a language foreign to other ears. Even their struggles were strangers to the Anglosphere. Mario and Luigi share the role of a lifetime.

Mario drops the script from his hands. In shock, all he could do was stare and stay still... What could Luigi be thinking?

Speaking of whom, he saw it as a passionate gesture. He holds his brothers cheeks, their noses touching and eyes meeting. Their mustaches... well, so to say.

As soon as they separated, Mario gasped and began to take deep breaths. He placed his hand to his chest where he noticed that his shirt was halfway unbuttoned. How his little brother managed to even do that without him feeling it was astonishing. His face had gone red from the excitement. But he doesn't know that this was only the beginning.

Luigi pushed Mario onto the bed and straddled him.

Mario now began to protest and began thinking that his brother had gotten way too carried away. He asked for him to stop.

Luigi did not listen. He was undressing his own brother against his will. His only excuse was, it's part of the script. Act natural, he said.

When that didn't work, he had no choice but to take hold of Mario's arms, that not too long ago started to pound on him.

Mario looked at the script he had dropped. He reads the next direction the man is to do. He gulps. Would he dare, he asked himself. Would _Luigi_, his own brother, dare?

"Pronto, Mario..."

And yet, the whole time it went on, all he could do was with the best of his power, keep his dignity even in the midst of the situation.

The kisses he was given, the fondling, the pain... What is the act anymore?

None. He was acting natural the entire time.

There is a first time for everything.

...moments pass...

The director thanks the actor.

The cameraman thanks the actor.

The actor thanks each one.

They have gathered outside the hotel to discuss the progress of the film. The director confirms that things are going good and that he cannot wait to tell the cast of the good news.

Recalled as well, the lengths they had to go to filming everything through a crack on the door. They were surprised to see how good it turned out.

The recent scene that had been filmed was the last of the scenes of the hotel. They are now ready to set their equipment elsewhere. With that last information, they say their goodbyes. The director gives one last 'Bravissimo' for the actor's performance.

He accepted it with a 'grazie'.

...Inside the room.

He opened the door carefully and takes a look. He sees that his brother is still awake and had not fallen asleep as he would've expected.

Luigi enters and closes the door behind him.

"Ciao, Mario..."

His brother shivers under the sheets, tears on his eyes.

Mario could only look at him. There was nothing to say. He couldn't think.

It cannot be said that he doesn't feel guilty. He pondered over whether he did it for the sake of a movie or for something that he had been holding in for as long as he can remember. It was obviously the latter. But those things aside, he was set to console his brother.

He kneels beside his laying brother and kisses him on the forehead. He puts a hand to his hair and gently pats him.

"Mario... look at me."

He did not look at him right away and only did so after he heard him say the same thing over and over again.

"... I've wanted this for a long, _long_ time. I'm sure you knew that."

"But..." He stifles a whimper. "How could you...?"

"We are brothers, Mario..." He climbs on the bed. He picks up his still laying brother and makes him sit. He puts him in a warm embrace. "Only now, we are closer than ever."

Mario felt a swinging motion suddenly take over. His brother was rocking themselves back and forth he saw. Just like what a mother would do to an infant when it is upset. He could only close his eyes. A tear escapes his eye and runs down his cheek. With his own face being buried in Luigi's chest, it made difficult to determine whether there's a smile on that face...

And finally, a few soothing words.

"Mario... Brothers... That's what we are..."

**-Fine-**

That is all. Please review! I cherish each and every one even if they could only come as many as two.

Also, headcanon: Italian is their first language which could only explain their blatant accents.


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